Combined puppet stage and carrying case



June 10, 1958 M. R. DUVALL COMBINED PUPPET STAGE AND CARRYING CASE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1957 INVENTOR.

MARION R. DUVALL June 10, 1958 M. R. DUVALL 2,837,863

COMBINED PUPPET STAGE AND CARRYING CASE Filed Oct. 2, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 WIT-7,;

I" it i In 56 J I INVENTOR. MARION R. DUVALL ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent COMBINED PUPPET SZSEGE AND CARRYING Marion R. Duvail, HaddonHeights, N. 5.

Application October 2, 1957, Serial No. 687,709

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-13) My invention relates to a puppet stage and, moreparticularly, relates to a puppet stage which is readily collapsed intoa compact carton wherein the puppets and stage props may be convenientlypacked and the carton easily carried about from place to place.

Heretofore, collapsible puppet stages were constructed in such a mannerthat a plurality of individual severable components were adapted to beassembled in interlocking engagement when it was desired to set up thestage. As a result, therefore,the prior constructions were necessarilycomplex and costly. Furthermore, when it was expedient to collapse suchstages for storage or to be carried for exhibition, the likelihood ofmisplacement and loss of one or more of the individual components wasexceptionally great. Moreover, a separate carrying case was required tocarry about not only the puppets and stage props, but also to hold theknocked down stage components.

It, therefore is an object of my invention to provide a collapsiblepuppet stage wherein the component stage elements are integrally joinedin hinged relationship and adapted to be folded into a compact carton.

Another object of my invention is to provide a collapsible puppet stagewhich is constructed in the form of a self contained portable package.

Another object of my invention is to provide a collapsible puppet stagewhich does not require the use of nails or screws to effect erectionthereof.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of thecharacter described, that is easily and economically produced, which issturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in thedetails of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fullyunderstood from the following description, when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a combined puppet stage andcarrying case embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view thereof.

Pig. 3 is an exploded view of the puppet stage in collapsed position anda sheath for carrying the collapsed stage therein.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the puppet stage isfabricated.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the sheath is formed.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, and partly broken away, of the puppetstage collapsed within the sheath.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which similarreference characters refer to similar parts, I show a collapsible puppetstage, generally designated as A, and a carrying sheath, generallydesignated as B, which acts as an envelope for and conveniently holdsthe stage in folded position for storage or hand transportation. Thecarrying sheath B further may act as an easel for 2,837,863 PatentedJune 10, 1958 ice supporting the stage A when the latter is extended inexhibition position for operating the puppets.

The stage A in collapsed position has the shade of a conventionalrectangular carton which has been assembled from a single cardboard orpaperboard blank A1, as shown in. Fig. 4. A rectangular front panel 12has a pair of side edge panels 14 and 16 adjacent the lateral edgesthereof along scored lines 14A and 16A respectively. A top edge panel 18is secured to the upper edge of front panel 12 along scored line 18A anda bottom edge panel 26 extends from the lower edge of the front panelalong scored line 20A. Tabs 22 and 24 extend laterally from the top edgepanel 18 along scored lines 22A and 24A respectively, and tabs 26 and 28are similarly disposed at the lateral edges of the bottom edge panel 29along lines 26A and 28A respectively.

Laterally disposed and integrally hinged to the side edge panels 14 and:16 are wing panels 30 and 32 along fold lines 30A and 32A respectively.A portico 34 extends adjacent the top edge panel 18 and is foldablyattached thereto along line 34A and similarly disposed adjacent thebottom edge panel 20 is a base panel 36 hinged thereon along line 36A.

The carton is formed by bending the edge panels upwardly at right anglesto the front panel 12-and securing tabs 22 and 24 to the upper interiorsurface of the respective side edge panels 14 and 16 respectively bycementing or stapling after the tabs have inwardly bent along therespective fold lines 22A and 24A. The tabs 26 and 28 are respectivelyfolded upwardly along lines 26A and 28A, thereafter being adhesivelysecured to the lower interior surface of the side edge panels 14 and 16.As is readily seen, the various edge panels form a single peripheraledge or rim firmly secured in right angle relationship to the plane ofthe front panel. The portico 34, the base panel 36 and the wing panels30 and 32 may easily be folded inwardly along their respective foldlines into overlapping positions substantially parallel to the frontpanel and spaced therefrom to form a rear closed side of the cartonwherein puppets and stage props may be conveniently stored.

Portals 40 and 42 are punched or slit in the front panel 12 and areintegrally hinged thereto along lines 40A and 42A adjacent the sideedges. in order to set up the stage for a puppet exhibition, the portals40 and 42 are each folded backwardly parallel to each other in planessubstantially perpendicular to the front panel 12. The portico 34 isalso folded in a plane perpendicular to the front panel coplanar withthe top edge panel. A portico flap 44 foldably secured to the porticoalong lines 44A and having spaced notches 46 and 48 is bent downwardlyat 44A wherein the notches engage slots 50 and 52 respectively at thetop of the portals. See Fig. 2. The wings 30 and 32 are foldedbackwardly and are maintained in substantially parallel spacedrelationship by a telescoping curtain rod 54 piercing apertures 56therein. Wing extensions 66 and 62 are foldably joined to the outboardedges of the wing panels 30 and 32 along lines 6tiA and 62A respectivelyand provide adjustable means for supporting and stabilizing the stage Aupon a suitable surface. The base panel 36 is folded into asubstantially horizontal position to define a stage floor and a splitcurtain 64 longitudinally slidable upon the rod 54 forms a back dropbehind which the puppet operator may be hidden.

The sheath blank B1 is of cardboard and comprises a control panel 70, apair of opposed sides 72, 74 hingedly secured thereto along lines 72Aand 74A respectively and a flap panel 76 and 78 foldably hinged to theexterior edge of each side along lines 76A and 78A. A handle 80 ispunched in each of the fiap panels 76 and 78 and hinged along lines 80A.The central panel 70, and the flap panels 76 and 78 are each identicalin configuration to the top and bottom edge panels 18 and 2% of thestage A while the sides 72 and 74 are each commensurate with the frontpanel 12 thereof. It is easily seen that the sheath B may be folded intoan open ended rectangular tube with the flap panels 76 and 78 overlapingand encase the stage A when the latter is collapsed into a carton, thehandles 80 being folded upwardly for convenience in carrying. The sheathB may also be extended into a V- shaped horizontal configuration forsupporting the stage A in exhibition position as shown in Fig. 1 to hidethe legs of the puppet operator.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

A collapsible puppet stage adapted to be folded into a compact carryingcase comprising a rectangular front panel, a peripheral edge extendingat right angles to the plane of said front panel, a pair of portalspunched in said front panel and hingedly secured thereto adjacent thesides thereof, said portals being folded backwardly respectively intoplanes parallel to the side portions of said peripheral edge, a porticohingedly secured to the top portion of said peripheral edge, a flaplongitudinally hinged to said portico and having notches therein indetachable interlocking engagement with slots at the top of saidportals, a wing hingedly secured at each side portion of said peripheraledge, a rod interfitting at each end With an aperture in each wing anddetachably maintaining said wings in spaced parallel relation, a curtainslidably supported on said rod and a base panel hingedly secured to thebottom of said peripheral edge to define a stage floor whereby the stagemay be opened in exhibition position for displaying puppets or collapsedinto a compact carton for storage thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,620,591 Scola Dec. 9, 1952

